‘Taseer family should ask PPP about blasphemy bill withdrawal’

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LAHORE – Slain Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer’s family should ask the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) for what reasons the blasphemy law amendment bill submitted by MNA Sherry Rehman was withdrawn, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Friday. He was talking to journalists outside the Punjab Assembly (PA). He said that the Taseer family should ask the PPP that if it had to withdraw the bill why did it pump the governor to raise the party viewpoint on the blasphemy laws. “I appeal to Taseer’s son Shehryar to ask the PPP why it has withdrawn the blasphemy law amendment bill when he has lost his father for this purpose,” the law minister said. Sanaullah termed Taseer as a non-religious man and said that he was killed due to his conflict with religious parties. The law minister said that Taseer sought blasphemy convict Aasia Bibi’s pardon as a political move to make the PPP popular amongst minorities of the country. Sanaullah, who bad-mouthed Taseer a lot during his life, ruled out the possibility that the slain governor had ever committed blasphemy. “No he never committed any blasphemy, he could not,” the minister said. Regarding the ongoing investigation into the governor’s assassination, Sanaullah said that Taseer’s murder investigation has nothing to do with the Punjab government. He said that the PPP leadership abandoned Taseer and the person who is shedding crocodile tears in the Governor’s House is now accusing us (Punjab govt) of planning the murder. Replying to a question about the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) charter of demand, he said that the party could demand fresh elections and contact other political forces if the PPP-led federal government did not accept their demands. When asked about the PML-N’s deadline for the incumbent government, Sanaullah said that the alliance would end if the agenda was not implemented. Referring to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) decision to rejoin the federal government, he said that it looks like the extortionists of Karachi have been given their share. He said that the coalition with the PPP in Punjab would also finish if the federal government avoided implementing the charter of demand. Replying to a question regarding floor-crossing if the PPP announced to quit the Punjab government, the law minister said that floor-crossing of MPAs could be done, as the restriction on floor crossing would be applied after the next general elections under the 18th Constitutional Amendment, so if the PPP separated from the coalition in Punjab, some other MPAs (PML-Q dissident group members) could change their loyalties.